Stone Sculpture Group Along the Tomb Path of the Southern Song Dynasty

Stone Sculpture Group Along the Tomb Path of the Southern Song Dynasty

The Stone Sculpture Group Along the Tomb Path of the Southern Song Dynasty is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located 17 kilometers from downtown Ningbo, the Dongqian Lake Scenic Area has long been famed for possessing "the grandeur of Taihu Lake and the charm of West Lake." In recent years, a large number of stone sculptures along tomb paths from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) have been discovered in the mountain valleys around the lake, drawing worldwide attention once again. Because previous publications such as "The History of Chinese Art" and "The History of Chinese Sculpture" did not cover tomb path stone sculptures from the Southern Song Dynasty, the discovery of the Dongqian Lake group fills this historical gap. It is now listed as a key cultural heritage site under protection by Zhejiang Province.

In ancient times, tomb path stone sculptures were referred to as “stone statues of symbolic creatures.” They were arranged according to the tomb owner’s status and the regulations of the time. The abundance and exquisite craftsmanship of the stone statues at Dongqian Lake are rare not only within the province but also across China. This is closely related to the specific historical and cultural context. Historical records indicate that during the 152 years of the Southern Song Dynasty, as many as five prime ministers from Yin County were Shi Hao, Shi Miyuan, Shi Songzhi, Zheng Qingzhi, and Wei Si. The Shi family was the most prominent clan of the Southern Song Dynasty, enjoying great prestige, with sayings like “one family produced three prime ministers, four generations saw two kings” and “half of the court officials came from the Shi family.” They also produced 72 successful imperial examination candidates. Most of them were buried around Dongqian Lake after their deaths. According to preliminary statistics, more than 30 sites containing over 180 stone sculptures have been found in areas such as Shangshui, Xiashui, Hanling, Hengjie, and Fuquanshan. These include civil officials (symbolizing loyalty), military officers (symbolizing bravery), crouching tigers (symbolizing integrity), standing horses (symbolizing righteousness), and kneeling sheep (symbolizing filial piety), all arranged in pairs along both sides of the tomb paths. Some also feature stone pillar markers, stone armchairs, and imitation wooden stone archways. Among these sculptures, the largest civil and military officials stand up to 3.5 meters tall. Their forms are accurately crafted, with vivid expressions—some solemn, some fierce—remarkably lifelike. Their official hats, tassel ornaments, winged ear covers, square collars, robes, and armor are all intricately and delicately carved. The animal sculptures exhibit diverse postures and movements, along with various decorative patterns. This rich and well-preserved collection fully showcases the extraordinary creativity of Southern Song Dynasty stone carving art. Since the tombs of the six emperors of the Southern Song Dynasty were relatively simple and hastily constructed, no tomb path stone sculptures have been found in the royal mausoleums in Shaoxing. As a result, the Dongqian Lake stone sculpture group has become a typical representation of this period.

Historical records show that during the 152 years of the Southern Song Dynasty, as many as five prime ministers from Yin County were Shi Hao, Shi Miyuan, Shi Songzhi, Zheng Qingzhi, and Wei Si. The Shi family was the most prominent clan of the Southern Song Dynasty, enjoying great prestige, with sayings like “one family produced three prime ministers, four generations saw two kings” and “half of the court officials came from the Shi family.” They also produced 72 successful imperial examination candidates. Most of them were buried around Dongqian Lake after their deaths. After enduring over 800 years of natural erosion and human damage, many of the stone carvings were buried or destroyed. It wasn’t until the 1980s, during a county-wide cultural relics survey, that they were gradually discovered and protected. On December 4, 1993, at the “Ningbo Dongqian Lake Stone Carving Cultural Survey Report Conference,” after multiple studies and verifications by archaeological experts, these carvings were confirmed to be the only surviving stone tomb path sculptures from the Southern Song Dynasty in China. They filled a gap in the history of Chinese art and sculpture for that period. These sculptures demonstrate the majestic presence of large-scale tomb path stone carving complexes in the Jiangnan region and hold significant historical and cultural value, attracting global attention from the cultural, artistic, historical, and educational communities. The Southern Song Dynasty Stone Sculpture Group of Dongqian Lake was designated as a national key protected heritage site in 2002.

The Southern Song Dynasty Tomb Path Stone Sculpture Group of Dongqian Lake holds considerable historical, academic, and artistic value, providing valuable physical material for the study of China’s art history, sculpture history, costume history, architecture history, family history, and geomancy history. However, for centuries, these stone sculptures lay in remote mountains and forests, suffering severe weathering and alkali erosion, as well as incidents of theft and vandalism. Therefore, rescue and preservation efforts are urgently needed. In 1999, with approval from the Zhejiang Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics and under the responsibility of the Yin County Cultural Relics Management Committee, the stone sculptures that were difficult to protect on-site were relocated to the Phoenix Mountain valley within the tomb path area of Shi Jian in Shangshui Village. They are now preserved in a new location, managed collectively, and gradually being developed into a Southern Song Dynasty Stone Sculpture Museum that integrates cultural relic protection, academic research, and tourism. At that time, we will be able to fully appreciate and study this precious historical and cultural heritage.